http://wordsmith.org/board/showflat.pl?Cat=&Board=words&Number=38981&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5

I have a question following the post by Of Troy in the Professional thread in Q&A. I know it is not word related but it intrigues me.

Are lawyers really all that disliked in the U.S.? On television we hear jokes about them all the time, people denigrate them constantly and seem to really hate them.

In French Québec to be a lawyer is quite respectable. It is one of those professions people appreciate because of the level of education needed to become one.

Mind you, most Québecers do not 'have' a lawyer at all. We are not a litigious people. Even divorces are now generally handled by government social services to reach equitable distribution assets.

So, is this just a U.S. thing (and is it really true) or are lawyers really despised everywhere?